Chiaroscuro: Complication
Part 1 . Sixth Division Barracks' training hall. Morning. Acting Captain-Commander Ayako Fukushima was discussing defensive tactics with three members of the Royal Guard: Katashi Hamasaki, Kimiko Kōtaku and Satō Shingen. In the meantime, Ayumu Nakahara was sitting idly not far from them, his slanted head and regular breath suggesting he was taking a nap. Duo Wen Tian, on the other hand, was approached by Ikiryō Kuragari. "Wen Tian-dono", he started, his demeanour indicating uneasiness. "Uhm, how are you?" The seemingly airheaded member of the Royal Guard had been strolling around the area, hands on the ground and feet in the air to show off just how flexible and balanced she happened to be. She was marvelling at every little thing from the decorations that lightened the atmosphere of the room to the little ant that had worked its way into the building in hopes of greater warmth than was present outside. She quickly turned when Ikiryō attempted to grab her attention. "Oh, he-", she paused. "Wait a minute...", a hand raised to her chin, the index finger tapping just below her lips in thought. She came to a conclusion with an audible "Ah!" and what one could only describe as a single handed hop on the spot. Her leg stretched out and a toe flicked the nose of the recently re-instated Captain. "Ki-chan!", she exclaimed with cheer whilst uprighting herself into a more normal position and from there she raised him into the air with a powerful bear hug, easily lifting and possibly crushing the much taller man. "Just look at you, you're all grown up now and so handsome too! I bet you've got all the ladies chasing after you, huh?", she'd rushed into her own little tangent out of excitement only to completely forget she had her former lieutenant suspended in the air between her arms. "Kh-Kh-Khap...", wheezed Kuragari in response, his eyes bulging out slightly. "Well that doesn't sound like mu-", she cut herself off when she realized what was going on and quickly put the wheezing Captain back on the ground. She spun to the front of him, her hands bobbing up and down with fidgety abandon. "Eeeeee~", she sounded out between a nervous but wide and toothy grin. "S-sorry, I kinda forget how strong I am sometimes", there was a sound of rustling fabric coming from the other Royal Guards, more than one of the old and powerful Shinigami were rubbing at sore spots. Sometimes meant often in other words. Staring Ikiryō in the face with a cat-like gleam in her eyes, it was obvious she was happy to see her Lieutenant again. "Hey, hey, how is everyone in the old gang? Did Ōotoko finally lose weight like he always said he would? Did Datemaru propose to that girl in the 15th Rukongai?", she was grinning from ear to ear, like the world was sunshine and rainbows. "My ribs... have forgotten... too", panted Kuragari whilst rubbing his sides. "Ōotoko is as plump as ever, but I promoted him to be the commander of the Detention Unit. And Datemaru had a little daughter before my short... leave of absence" he said with a slight smile, happy to be able to share some good news despite the current situation. "Anyway, how's life in the ? Have you actually seen the ?", he asked eventually, letting his curiosity slip into the conversation. "Hehe, you could just stick him in front of Maggot's Nest and no one would ever be able to get out", she joked in response, putting the image into her mind of the round setted man acting as the world's greatest door to an underground prison. "Oh yeah I've met him, he's kind of like a big ugly butterfly, horrible sense of fashion", she chattered on about the upper most figure in Soul Society as if he was just a person on the street. "Tried to get him to wear his hair in dreadlocks once, never really worked out", Her hand framed around her chin while she nodded to herself as if imparting some kind of wisdom about dealing with transcendent beings. "I see.", Ikiryō bluntly replied, he had a look of slight abashment on his face, however he smiled at his former Captain's light-hearted nature, however, he changed his smile into a grimace, which Wen Tian noticed almost immediately. "Turn that frown upside down.", she exclaimed happily, flexibly maneuvering behind the 2nd Division Captain, bending over his shoulder and then forcing Ikiryō's face into a weird looking smile, Kuragari responded with slight annoyance, stopping Duo's antics by raising his arm to signal her to stop. "The situation doesn't augur well. Despite their faults, Shōdo-san, Danko-san and Kuufuku-san were invaluable allies, for them to die so easily is demoralizing to say the least.", Ikiryō explained grimly, his former Captain merely listened quietly before responding. "Well you have us, so no fear!", she replied joyously, despite her happy sounding demeanor, a hint of seriousness lingered in her words, Ikiryō responded with a silent, but firm, nod. Then, he was somewhat startled as he noticed Manihōrudo appear out of the blue beside him. The Lieutenant turned to face Wen Tian and followed with a formal and rather stiff, 90-degree deep bow. "Excuse me", she muttered. She grabbed Kuragari's forearm and started dragging him away. "She's your former Captain?" "Well, yes", replied Ikiryō, surprised. "She's pretty", said Motoko. Kuragari widened his eyes. "What do you mean?" "That you're stupid." "What?", he asked with comical despair. "You look like a bum", she remarked with a changed tone. "Come with me." "Well, I am coming", retorted Kuragari before being dragged outside the building. In the meantime, unsure what to do, Kurokawa Tadayoshi was considering leaving the hall as well. However, he was stopped by the return of Haruka Mewokuramasu. "I have figured that you would like to talk with someone after such a long absence", she said with a faint smile. "Daiki-kun?" "Yes, Captain", replied the Lieutenant, letting two people behind him enter the spacious room. Tadayoshi was surprised and happy to see their familiar faces: his Kidō Corps second-in-command, and more importantly, his adopted sister wearing the Shihakushō of a . "Tsukahara, Aki...", Kurokawa paused at his sister's name, he seemed to be having trouble looking at her in the eyes, noticing his hesitation, Tsukahara cut the silence. "Captain, we have set up intermediate countermeasures around every important station, what shall we do next.", he said, his comment caused Kurokawa to snap out of his stupor. "Uh, fortify the current defences and then add a double layer onto that.", Kurokawa replied sheepishly, his lieutenant nodded and moved to a quieter place to order the troops, now alone, Kurokawa finally turned to Akimoto. "Akimoto, I'm...", Kurokawa whispered guiltily, he nervously made eye contact with her, she responded with a slight huff. "I see you're still an effective Commander at least.", she snapped, her words pierced her brother, causing him to recoil slightly. "Akimoto, please.", Haruka started, however she was cut off by the 5th Seat, "He leaves me, and expects me to be happy when he returns.", her voice was trembling, and she was trying to hold back tears, her confession caused the Haruka and Kurokawa to smile at each other, their smiles caused the 6th Division officer to become even more agitated. "What are you smiling at!", she shouted, she could no longer hold back her tears, and she began to quietly sob, Kurokawa walked closer to her, putting his hand upon her head. "Look Aki. It was stupid of me to do such a thing to you, I'm a stupid brother.", he said tenderly, his own voice shaking slightly. "You're a stupid brother, yeah you're right.", Akimoto said, she started laughing inbetween sobs, however, before Kurokawa could respond he found a fist sinking in his face. "Ack!", Kurokawa shouted as he comically flew backwards, landing next to a mildly bemused Duo Wen Tian. "That's for making me worry.", Akimoto exclaimed, her face, while wet with tears, had a wide smile painted on it, Kurokawa, rubbing his face from his sisters punch, reciprocated the smile, however before he could even stand up, he was picked up easily by Wen Tian, and was subsequently submitted to the same torture his partner was subjected to beforehand. "Wa-kun!", she shouted, her hug was seemingly compressing the Kidō Corps Commander into a straw like shape, the only thing that stopped her from killing him was both Akimoto and Haruka's protests. "Thanks....guys.... I thought I was...a gonner.", Kurokawa panted, he was clutching his chest, obviously in pain, Duo Wen Tian reacted just as strongly as she did with Kuragari, fruitlessly apologizing about her strength. "Anyway, you remember me, Wen Tian-sensei?", he asked, obviously shocked at the Royal Guard noticing him. "Of course, you used to hang about with Ki-chan when you were young!", she replied happily, swaying slightly, as if she was a blade of grass. "Oh yeah, that's right, anyway I need to see my own Lieutenant Wen Tian-sensei, so I will see you later.", he said, turning towards Haruka and Akimoto. "Okay, bye bye!", she shouted as the Kidō Commander started leaving the room, his sister by his side. However, the door to the hall had opened before they were able to reach it, and a single man stood in their way. "I beg your pardon", said Lieutenant . He entered the room, his head slanted slightly and his face expression the epitome of grief. "I would like to invite all of you to the funeral ceremony. We shall pay our last respects to our fallen comrades and commander", he announced solemnly. "We'll come, Sasakibe-kun", replied Fukushima with a nod. In the turmoil resulting from the recent events they had focused on strategic matters and reunions, but then the atmosphere of sorrow returned to their minds. Because they had still many hours of sunshine left, they could however find some time to honour the memory of the fallen. And then avenge them. Part 2 Seireitei. First Division Barracks. Afternoon. In a matter of days the new adversary had managed to strike a heavy blow to the Gotei 13, and in fact, the entire Soul Society. Innocent people were slaughtered, brave Shinigami troopers slain. But what hurt the officers of Thirteen Squads the most were deaths of three experienced Captains and the Captain-Commander; , the Shinigami himself. The man who personified the history of the Soul Society was killed by the daemons from the distant past, and now the surviving Shinigami had to fight to ensure there will be any future. On a large square there was a rectangle assembled from miniature pyres, one for every trooper who fell in combat. Inside the figure there were three empty pyres assembled in a triangular formation, with the fourth, largest one in the epicentre, the body of the late Captain-Commander lain at the top. The people attending the ceremony, including Lieutenants, Captains and even the Royal Guard, gathered along all sides of the rectangle. They were observing as Ayako Fukushima, accompanied by Chōjirō Sasakibe, at last ignited the first fire. Thanks to the domino-effect the sides burst into fire swiftly by themselves. Then, the acting Captain-Commander ignited the inner pyres, one after another. Once she reached the body of Yamamoto, she passed the torch to Sasakibe. The white-haired Lieutenant stood for a short while beside the pyre, gazing solemnly upon his fallen master. Eventually, he lowered the torch. All Shinigami present were watching in complete silence. Some of them seemed sorrowful, furious, stern or uneasy, but all paid their respects to the fallen. Time was passing slowly, and the only audible sound was the sizzle of fire. Then, all of a sudden, there was a loud thunder. The noise quickly drew attention of all Shinigami, for there were too few clouds on the blue sky to justify such a phenomenon. That had changed fast, however; a swirl of smoke-like darkness appeared high above the . The area around it darkened considerably. Suddenly, there was another lightning bolt of dark orange colour, and a thunder followed soon afterward. "They're coming", whispered Ayako. "They're coming! All officers, take your positions! Hamasaki-san, get ready!" "As you wish", replied the elderly Royal Guardsmen with a smirk, summoning a large grey staff in a flash of light. In the meantime, all other Shinigami present proceeded to vanish promptly, using Shunpo to move as fast as possible to strategic positions they had determined before the ceremony started. Within a matter of seconds only three people remained at the square; Katashi Hamasaki, Ayako Fukushima and Chōjirō Sasakibe. The Grandmaster of Kidō closed his eyes and started muttering various incantations, activating a plethora of spells he had set up all around the Seireitei. Meanwhile, Fukushima turned to the First Division Lieutenant. "From now on you'll act as my adjutant", she told him. "Yes, milady", responded Sasakibe with a polite bow. Ayako glanced at Yamamoto's pyre. Her face stiffened in a grimace of tranquil fury. "They'll burn for what they've done", she declared sternly. Part 3 Seireitei. Dark clouds were spreading rapidly, emerging from a miniscule point located some kilometres above the city. Another bolt of dark orange lightning struck down, this time actually hitting the tip of the Sōkyoku Hill. Strong gusts of wind began blowing through the streets and alleys of Seireitei. Then, with a piercing, shrill sound a portal opened amongst the swirling clouds. Its borders outlined with blue flames widened rapidly, revealing a crimson-hued dimension behind. Numerous small, black silhouettes appeared in the portal and proceeded to fall toward the city below. Once on the ground, the Sinners were promptly taking off their cloaks and masks, revealing their disturbing, often hideously twisted forms. They scattered quickly in the search of prey, and in their vicious fervour they took a long time to notice something wrong. The enormous Kidō barrier protecting a portion of Seireitei was gone, but it was not the most important observation; so were all the Shinigami. The Togabito were looking, sniffing, scouring and sensing, but it appeared there was nothing to find. "When should we strike?", asked a Shinigami trooper leaning on a wall. "Wait. Let more of them come here", replied the Eighth Division Lieutenant, Junko Ogasawara. She was a relatively tall, young woman with brown eyes, and black hair styled in a ponytail. She squeezed the hilt of her Zanpakutō firmly, watching the Sinners pass by. Even though theoretically in clear view, none of them noticed her or any of the several dozen troops under her lead. "Now!", she ordered and plunged forward. The Soul Reapers charged at the unaware Togabito with their swords lifted to strike. There was a loud clatter, and screams of surprise and pain followed. Hit by an unseen enemy, seven Sinners died in a matter of seconds, their comrades just standing there, shocked. Then, at last, the protective shroud of withdrew, revealing the hidden Shinigami. However, they had already managed to gain the advantage, and were more than eager to utilise it. "Strike them down!", exclaimed Ogasawara. The troopers followed her order with a battlecry and furious charge. Still surprised, some of the Sinners fell quickly to multiple cut wounds received within instants. Some of them tried to fight back, but they too soon perished. Nevertheless, select few not only managed to withstand the onslaught, but were starting to push the defenders back. One particularly bulky Togabito with a dark green mane of hair protected himself with his thick forearm, receiving a little cut from a two-handed slash dealt by a seated officer. He then struck the Soul Reaper with a powerful uppercut, breaking the latter's jaw effortlessly. Another Shinigami attempted to attack him from the side, but the Sinner caught his blade and punched the shocked trooper in the face, changing it into a bloody pulp. Seeing that, Junko impaled yet another Togabito with her katana and brutally cast his body to the side. Subsequently, she held the bloodied blade upward. "Pummel, Rasenken!" Now released, her Zanpakutō transformed into an elaborate knuckle-duster, with an armoured plate extension protecting Junko's forearm. She plunged swiftly at the giant enemy, who noticed her manoeuvre and prepared to counter with a powerful punch. His massive fist clashed with the Lieutenant's knuckle-duster, releasing a small shockwave upon impact. Afterward, much to the Togabito's terror, his arm began shivering as the kinetic force travelled through it in fast, spiral-like motion, shattering his arm's bones into dust. The giant roared in pain and attempted to grab Junko with the other hand. Still, she evaded him with the use of Shunpo and rotated mid-air, finishing up with a strong roundhouse kick to his cheek. Bone cracked as she snapped his neck as she felled him. Her squad raised their fists and swords into the air, tired and injured, but victorious. "Great job! Now, let's move to sector 12. Go, go, go!", she spurred them into further action. This time the Sinners were the ones to fall into a trap, and the Shinigami were relentless in their retaliation. It seemed as if the simple but clever plan devised by the officers would work to great effect. Or so they hoped. *** In a different place, a group of Sinners was scouring the area, but to no avail. "Where the Hell are they!?" "Like I know. Hidin'?" "Stupid cowards, come and fight like real men!" The Togabito were walking down the alley in a fast pace, their swords, axes, clubs and talons thirsting for Shinigami blood. Suddenly, one of them halted abruptly and looked down on his feet. "Wassa matter?" "I think I've stepped on somethin'", replied the Sinner with a raised eyebrow. A second later he vanished in a , along with several others who had got caught up in it by accident. Those who were at the end of the group retreated rapidly, one of them falling backward to the ground. "Shit! They've set up..." This time there was a , and another explosion reverberated throughout the alley. Small charred chunks of bodies falling to the ground were all that remained from unfortunate Sinners. Then, a single figure emerged through a cloud of smoke, walking calmly forward. "What an underhanded method to fight", commented Anders Schäfer, glancing to the sides attentively. He stopped, noticing an individual seemingly emerge from nothingness in front of him. "And who are you, if I may ask?", he inquired, slightly rising his right hand. The recently appeared figure, focused his sights on the one speaking, his blade drew from its sheath in tandem with the rise of his arm. "It is common curtesy to reveal who you are, before asking the name of others", the man responded, the faintest smirk on his face, having done this very same song and dance not all that long before. This time, instead of waiting for an answer, however, he immediately made his move. With , he had vanished and, practically within the same motion, reappeared behind Anders, his back facing his intended target. He'd come out of his swift movement spinning, his blade crossing at a near 360 degree arc, slicing through the heads of three Togabito who hadn't even registered his movement, barely even aware that the top half of their heads had fallen from their bodies. The blade came to a halt, right before Anders' neck. Its intensely sharp edge, nipping at the flesh with metallic hunger. The swollen veins had been already flowing with . "Forgive my discourtesy, then", replied Schäfer. He turned his head slightly to the side, just to be able to look at his opponent with one eye. "You see, one thousand years in Hell have had a detrimental effect on my manners. I am Anders Schäfer, a former ." He had never fought in the wars between Shinigami and Quincy, though that wasn't to say he hadn't fought with the infamous human archers. But, repaying what little curtesy came from his opponent, Satō moved his blade from the man's neck, though his guard never dropped. "Satō Shingen, Shinigami and Royal Guardsman", he responded in kind. "An elite", remarked Anders with an unnerving smile. With a single burst of he moved away a medium distance. Once he reappered the right sleeve of his cloak had been already rolled, revealing a silver bracelet on his forearm. Within an instant an ornate crossbow assembled on its top from absorbed spiritual particles. Its barrel was pointed at Shingen. "Let's see what you are made of", he said, smirking. Then, his spiritual weapon spewed a volley of aquamarine Heilige Pfeile. His blade responded with an invisible quickness, a glimmer of steel being the only thing to signify it was truly present within the blur of motion. Any of the aquamarine bolts of spiritual energy that came close to hitting the Royal Guardsman were eradicted, broken back down into formless spiritual particles. *** Odayakana meanwhile was standing on top of a fairly tall building, yawning, he was waiting for the chance to strike a powerful opponent, however, his search was being unsuccessful. Just as he sighed at his misfortune a star like object flew towards him, unfazed, Odayakana dodged the attack by unnaturally bending his spine. Odayakana merely tutted quietly, turning his head to the side to see two female figures, one of them already having their Zanpakutō released. "Who are you fleas?", the Togabito asked, his voice had a hint of anger in it, as if he was being mocked. "3rd Division Lieutenant, Kana Enodoriko.", the 3rd Division Lieutenant replied, her normal demeanor was replaced by a quiet anger. "6th Division 5th Seat, Akimoto Miharu.", the shinigami next to Kana said, unlike her ally she was more collected, however she was struggling to keep herself composed under the strain of the opponent's reiatsu. "My goodness, this is worse than last time.", Odayakana said, his anger rising. "Are you the one who hurt Yamashita-san?", Kana asked, as to which the Togabito responded with a confused look, as if he was having trouble remembering. "Yamashita, Yamashita...oh yeah, that illusion guy, yeah I kicked the shit outta him, problem?", he replied nonchalantly, Kana straightened up, raising her Zanpakutō. "Shi no Senkai-ha." Hovering above Enodoriko's head, the weapon began spinning more and more rapidly, to the point its whizz eventually became a nearly uniform, low-pitched hum. "Ha!", she exclaimed as she suddenly waved her hand downward. The sped up Zanpakutō burst forth with the velocity of a bullet, Odayakana, noticing the increase in speed, actively dodged the attack, it just barely missing him. "Tch, what a pain.", he mumbled as Kana caught her zanpakutō, spinning around and throwing it again, he readied himself, however he noticed the 5th Seat take stance also. "Envelop the skies, Totsuka no Tsurugi!", Akimoto exclaimed, lifting her zanpakutō high, it transformed into a short, wide, jagged blade, she then pointed it at Kana's Zanpakutō, which was in the process of attacking Odayakana. "Tentai no Kaze.", Akimoto said confidently, as she did, a strong gust of wind hit Kana's Zanpakutō, forcing the shuriken to gain speed at an alarming rate. "Shit.", Odayakana said as he was hit square in the face by the speeding Zanpakutō, his mask being the only thing saving him, he grimaced as his mask fell to the ground in pieces, he narrowed his amber coloured eyes into slits, just as his opponents once again prepared themselves. "For that you shall pay.", Odayakana growled. Part 4 "These are barracks?" "Yeah, but there ain't nobody here." "You think they're scared of us?" A group of about twenty Togabito were approaching slowly the gates of the Seventh Division Barracks. The entire area seemed deserted, with no trace, neither visual nor spiritual, of the presence of any Shinigami. "You know", said one of the Sinners as they stopped in front of the gate. "Let's just wreck this place. Someone may come out." Then, a single figure had materialised unexpectedly in front of the open gate and started walking toward them at a measured pace. "Only one?" "Look, he's got a badge on his arm! It's a Lieutenant!" "Phew! We'll waste him!" "Excuse me", said Kyoshi Seppen, ignoring their chatter. "Did any of you participate in the battle in Rukongai?", he asked in a collected tone. "Oh yeah!", replied a Togabito with two horns protruding from his forehead. "I killed a 4th Seat! He was nothing, and you're nothing!" "I see", responded Seppen, drawing his Zanpakutō. The Sinners quickly assumed more or less professional fighting stances, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. "You think you can take on us alone? Fool! We'll kill you like we did those weaklings before!", shouted a slender Togabito with a row of spikes growing on his neck and back. "Congeal, Tsurara", declared Kyoshi with a seemingly indifferent voice. Light grey Reiatsu emanated from his body in a vast aura, somewhat intimidating the enemies facing him. His Zanpakutō glowed, changing its shape into a spiky broadsword whose blade was made entirely out of semi-translucent ice. "Get 'im!" The Sinners plunged at him with ferocious battlecries. However, rather than overwhelm him with a number of fast strikes, they barely moved from the places they had stood before, their motions clumsy and almost comically sluggish. "What... the... heck...", blabbered one of them, his lips as heavy as his limbs. "Speed is dependent on the acceleration of particles", said Kyoshi with an eerie smirk on his face. "The higher it is, the greater the speed and, coincidentally, the temperature. My Zanpakutō decreases the acceleration of all particles I choose within a certain area, drowning it with motion-hindering coldness." He vanished. Then, a mere second later he reappeared behind the group of Togabito. Even though it seemed as if his stance had not changed a bit, the icy blade of Tsurara was now covered with ichor and blood. Sprays of red liquid erupted from the bodies of the Sinners, who subsequently fell limply to the ground, often in more than one piece. Kyoshi cleared the blade with a swift motion. Afterward, he sealed it and expertly sheathed it back. Not even glancing back at the defeated foes, he simply walked in the direction of a nearby battle, ominously composed. Without a warning, numerous dark silhouettes started materialising behind him. Shinigami troopers with swords at the ready followed him silently, their faces expressing nothing but determination. *** Meanwhile, Tinieblas was trudging around, grumbling to herself as her mere presence was either suffocating or scaring every opponent she met, as she entered a large open area she was suddenly forced to duck as she saw a set of clawed gauntlets close in on her head. "You.", she growled, turning to face two men, one was wearing a plain Shinigami uniform while one was wearing rather dirty, plain clothes. "You know, I wish I was able to change clothes before this.", Kurokawa mumbled lazily, he sheathed his Zanpakutō momentarily to roll his sleeves up, drawing his sword after doing so, completely ignoring the Arrancar's comment. "Ah well, we wasn't expecting these guys until a little later, so it's understandable.", Ikiryō replied casually, the two Captain's nonchalant behaviours were quickly angering Tinieblas. Her anger at its peak, Tinieblas charged at the two Captains, her black nodachi making what sounded like a screeching sound, she struck Kurokawa who quickly blocked the attack, he swung back at the Arrancar, who instead of dodging, merely took the attack, resulting in sparks appearing and her being forced backward. "That ain't nice.", Kurokawa said mockingly to Tinieblas, who was uncharacteristically shocked at how the Captain she struck down so easily 12 years ago parried her attack so effortlessly, however before she could perform a counter attack she heard a low pitched humming sound behind her, she turned around to see Kuragari speeding towards her. "Bunkatsu Genjitsu." There was a hiss of rapidly cut air, and immediately afterward a loud static noise of . The giant Arrancar halted some metres from the two Captains, a single streak of blood flowing from a light wound on her right cheek. "Oh, I see you've grown a lil' bit stronger", she commented with an ominous grin. "Good. That Kenpachi guy struggled so much, but all for nothing." The smirk on Kuragari's face disappeared. His lips tightened into a narrow line. "You know, this time you don't have a bunch of protecting your giant arse", he remarked calmly. "I think you should weigh your words more carefully." "The previous time we'd been already a bit tired before we reached you", added Kurokawa, idly swinging his Zanpakutō. "This time..." "SHUT UP!", Tinieblas roared, interrupting him. A tempest of black Reiatsu literally exploded from her imposing body, momentarily drowning the two Shinigami in a sea of black coldness. She spread her legs and lifted her sword like a club, her unmatching eyes glowing with madness. "I'll squash you like bugs!" Without a warning a column of darkness shot toward the two Captains, emitting the distinct sound of a . However, they evaded the attack using Shunpo, letting the beam strike a building in the distance, completely destroying it. "Uh, this time we should limit collateral damage", said Ikiryō. "Right. I don't want my first pay in 10 years be spent on reconstruction", replied Kurokawa, shaking his head. "I SAID SHUT UP!", yelled Tinieblas. Her Reiatsu undulated, rising rapidly. Then, a number of black orbs appeared around her, the peculiar sound they were emitting impossible to mistake for anything else. "Holy shit, she's mad!", exclaimed Kuragari. "I see!", agreed Tadayoshi, slanting in preparation to dodge. A volley of Cero beams fired in multiple directions, forcing the two Captains to speed up. None of the attacks hit their intended targets, but the surroundings suffered heavily from the assault. "I think we need to start the masquerade", suggested Kurokawa. "Hell yes!", concurred Ikiryō. Afterward, with swift motions indicating proficiency the two slid ivory white masks upon their faces, unlocking their powers. With their spiritual powers augmented, their Reiatsu enveloped their bodies, shielding them from the storm of Tinieblas' dark might. "What... How?", she wondered in utter astonishment, briefly forgetting about her fury. "You... dare mock me like this... YOU!" "Bunkatsu Genjitsu!", exclaimed Kuragari as he was approaching her, his left palm sprouting a reality-splitting blade. "Shakkahō!", shouted Kurokawa on the move, imbuing his sword with the spell. "HYAAAAAH!", roared Tinieblas in response. The two Captains struck simultaneously, but their attacks were blocked by her ebony longsword. There was a loud clang and the three started to grapple. All three immense powers swelled rapidly, engulfing them completely tempestuous raw energy. *** Fire. Wherever he went, there was fire. With each swipe of his released Zanpakutō Tōru Yōshanai was unleashing yet another wave of superheated air, combusting anything in his path. The entire area around him burst into flames, the scarlet glow reflected in his grey, insane eyes. "Come the fuck out!", he screamed suddenly. "Stop hiding, you bloody pansies! I haven't come here for a fucking BBQ!" He looked around with the ferocity of a rabid animal, baring his teeth in a predatory grin. The houses around him were crumbling and turning into ashes, but there was no trace of a Shinigami. "Come ooout!", he yelled again, preparing for another heatwave strike. Suddenly, a figure emerged from among the flames in front of him. Pacing calmly in his direction, it was a tall, muscular man wielding two nodachi pointed slightly to the sides. "Oh, look whom we've got here!", exclaimed Tōru. "Third Division Captain! I was in the Third too!" "You", uttered Tarō Kinzoku in a tone which removed the smirk from Yōshanai's face. "You bring shame to the Third Division, Gotei 13, and all Shinigami in the Soul Society." "Hm, you're more talkative than the previous guy", remarked the Togabito while assuming a fighting stance. Kinzoku halted abruptly. "Who." Tōru slanted his head to the side, his sole remaining eyebrow raised in an expression of curiosity. "Takeo Danko of the Ninth Division. I make a point of remem..." "Bankai." Light blue Reiatsu emanated from Kinzoku's body, snuffing out the flames surrounding him. Yōshanai cringed inadvertently, surprised by its intense sharpness. He lifted his left hand to his face and rubbed his scarred cheek with the index finger. There was blood on its tip. Meanwhile, the two nodachi of Tarō widened into large, triangular broadswords fused with his hands, and rectangular armour plates formed on his shoulders. His normally green eyes glowed blue with his Reiatsu. "Come on, Captain-san! Let's not...", started Tōru with a mockingly friendly smile. The Third Division commander plunged at him suddenly, forcing him to defend himself in the blink of an eye. The broadsword's blade slammed into the superheated edge of Atatamaru, its sheer force sufficient to push the Togabito back. Then, another powerful swing followed, and another one, and the next. With each strike came a shower of sparks, and Tōru, shaking under the immense pressure exerted by the onslaught, was barely able to survive. All of a sudden Tarō changed the trajectory of his next slash, launching the astonished former Lieutenant into a wall of flames. "Bankai, Kajiarashi!", shouted Yōshanai as he was standing up from among the charred rubble. Noticing the Captain charging at him with intimidating ferocity, he instantly swung his sword in a broad motion, sucking in the nearby flames and making them erupt into his opponent's face. "Fushichō no Tsubasa!", he screamed, a trace of desperation in his voice. The column of fire engulfed the Third Division Captain entirely and exploded, drowning the area in its scarlet inferno. Standing unfazed among the flames, Tōru panted several times, clutching his sword two-handed. Then, Kinzoku once again emerged from the blaze, smoke rising from his body and both of his large blades descending toward the Togabito's head. There was a loud clang as the blades clashed violently. With a constant creak the two grappled with each other, veins bulging out on their well-muscled arms. Yōshanai took a step backward. Then, the second one. He looked into the eyes of his enemy, and all he saw was death. Part 5 "But, but, but, Shōki-hakase!" "Aww, come on, Akira-chan, don't be silly! You're the Captain now!" The door to the opened, revealing the two right behind them. Kaoru promptly pushed Akira outside. The latter swayed, and then looked at her with desperation. "I must finish my research if we want to send all those bastards back to Hell", stated Shōki. "But I won't be able to do that with them swarming the entire area." "But I'm really not the best fighter...", complained Tanaka. "Put a smile on that pretty face and prove us wrong", replied Kaoru with a smirk and slammed the door. "Hey, you!", shouted a low-pitched voice. The Twelfth Division Captain turned around and noticed a group of Sinners approaching him slowly. "Hey, boys, we got a Cap'n right here!", commented the apparent leader of the pack. "I can't wait to test my little beauty on him", said another one, rubbing his slender fingers against the edge of his oversized cleaver. "Uhm, excuse me", muttered Akira, scratching his head in embarassment. "But Shōki-hakase told me to defend this place, so I think..." "Ha ha ha ha, you think you can defeat us, little boy?", asked a particularly tall Togabito. "You're so funny we might actually let you run away!" "Oh, I can't do that", the Shinigami responded with apparent unease. "Then DIE!" The Sinner wielding a large cleaver plunged at him fast, the blade slicing the air audibly. Once he had closed the distance he swung it abruptly, stirring up a little gust of wind with the sheer ferocity. Tanaka had disappeared. "Adapt, Idenshi Setsugō", he declared from behind the group of Togabito. As they all turned around rapidly to face him, his Zanpakutō shone and fused with his left hand. Right afterward all veins bulged out on his arms, swelling the muscles. Plates of bone sprouted from under the skin to cover it with armour, and two long spikes emerged from each clenched fist. His -tinted Reiatsu enveloped his entire body. "Uh, maybe you could...", he started with uncertainty. "Haaaarh!", roared one of the enemies. He leapt at the Captain with his giant, crude club high above his head. However, before he was able to strike, two sets of twin bony blades erupted from his back in a spray of blood. The Sinner halted, and then Akira cast his dead body to the side. "I'm sorry", he mumbled. "You son of a bitch!" Three Togabito rushed toward him, their weapons and claws ready to cut him into ribbons. It did not come to be, though, for Tanaka countered with his own charge, meandering swiftly between the speeding opponents. All three fell limply to the ground. Akira lifted his head and glanced at the rest of the group. They, in turn, were watching him with widened eyes. There was a period of awkward silence. Then, the two opposing sides rushed at each other. *** Within yet another part of the Seireitei a squad of Togabito led by Kerai Gozen was on the move. They had yet to encounter the Shinigami forces and their traps made up of Kidō and other gambits. It was in part due to their ploddingly slow pace, Kerai moved at the head of the small horde, reigning them in so that their often suicidal over confidence didn't get them wiped out. But Togabito were dynamite that had already been lit, their fuse could only be halted for so long. "Damn, this is so boring!", one of the sinners cried with a dramatically overdone motion with his body to accompany it. "He's right, Gozen-chan, ye' gotta let us go a little wild", another spoke, approaching Kerai's side, regarding her with an obviously deriding tone. She halted in her tracks, easily noticable among the Togabito as the only one to continue wearing her cloak and mask. "You're right", she replied with nary a hint of emotion. Her hand moved out to rest on the smaller Togabito's shoulder prompting an "Eh?" from him. Within a single motion she had tossed the sinner ahead of herself with enough strength to send him a fair distance but not enough to make it impossible for him to land on his own tow feet. With the rough patter of his flesh skidding across the ground he had done just that. His arm, an ugly mashup of metal and organs, raised into the air like a rallying flag. "Come on boys!", he cheered but his eyes widened in the wake of a blue light surrounding him. The Togabito behind Kerai became deathly silent and focused in that instant. Blood hungering reiatsu poured out from each of them. But the Shinigami didn't become aware of that fact quick enough. " !" " !" The Togabito ahead of the group was incinerated in white and blue flames whilst a Shinigami dropped from the sky, a great cloud of red engulfing the streets when his palm hit the floor. From all across the street Shinigami appeared as if they had been there the entire time. "Attack!", one of the Shinigami bellowed to his comrades to affirm the motions they had all taken. But the Togabito were ready this time. Reacting on instinct the smattering of multi coloured and entirely unique figures lashed out and retaliated. It was unclear who was winning, but neither side had the upperhand this time. Remaining outside of the fog that hid the Togabito and Shinigami clash, Kerai looked forward waiting for whoever commanded this particular unit. "Dayum, I haven't seen a battle like that in ages!", remarked Ayumu Nakahara, standing beside Gozen and stroking his beard. Entirely unperturbed by the Royal Guardsman's presence, Kerai's head simply turned to face him, her turqoise coloured eyes regarding him with contempt through the holes in her mask. "You...", she stated flatly. "Ah, yes!", exclaimed the Shinigami with a facepalm. "How rude of me! I'm Ayumu Nakahara of the Royal Guard. Nice to meet you again." "I am afraid I do not share the sentiment", she responded. It took only a moment for her entire body to spin around into a high powered kick, her cloak fluttering in every direction from the sudden swiftness. Aimed right at the back of this... Ayumu. She was unsure if it would hit, her uncertainty in her own skills being what they were. "Wow!", shouted Nakahara, now standing on her other side, his hands lifted in a defensive gesture. "Don't be so hasty! Why don't you introduce yourself before we start some sparring, eh?", he asked light-heartedly, assuming a professional boxer's stance and feigning a series of quick punches. "He's fast", she couldn't help thinking to herself, though she already knew that this particular Shinigami was fast. Though the Shinigami requested an introduction Kerai didn't feel so inclined as to give one. She was just a lowly foot soldier in comparison to a status as lofty as the Royal Guard, it was unlikely to other that he would even remember the name should she have given it. Instead she resolved to put her all into hitting him. At least make him take thing seriously. And with that thought she struck again, this time with more force and enough speed to make her body seem as if it was a blur. A palm strike aimed at Ayumu's stomach. Nakahara's smile disappeared as his eyes widened in surprise. With great haste he leapt backward, Gozen's attack missing some centimetres from puncturing his abdomen. He halted about five metres from her, instinctively assuming a fighting stance. "Maaan, you surely don't fool around, do ya?", he remarked with a wry smile. Something flashed briefly; a with a lightning shaped tsuba materialised in his right palm. "Y'know, the previous time, when I kicked you, I think I broke something in my foot", he revealed whilst balancing the blade. "Thankfully Hamashita-san fixed that, but I dun wanna that happen again, so I'm gonna wear some protection, okay?" When he was speaking navy blue light outlined his body, eventually expanding into a gently undulating aura. Even though released without hurry, his Reiatsu blew away the residual smoke obscuring the battlefield behind him and briefly pinned the combatants there with its pressure. Small surges of bioelectricity were appearing here and there. "Accelerate, Senkō", he said with a wide smile. Then, his Zanpakutō dissolved into several bolts of lightning that seemingly struck his feet, only to cover them with dark blue light which started to gain shape. After a short while it morphed into a pair of plated boots with lightning ornaments and pipes protruding slightly downward from the ankles. "It's show time!", he exclaimed excitedly. With an abrupt motion he jumped into the air and rotated rapidly around his axis, swiftly closing in on the large Togabito with his legs madly in preparation for a barrage of strong kicks. Drawing her arms over her shoulders and gripping at her neck with her fingers, Kerai motioned into a similiar retreat as her opponent had done just moments prior. A series of flips using only the power of her legs to support the movements propelled her back a safe distance from the oncoming flurry of kicks. Her arms clamped down from their gripping, creating indents in the back of her neck before either limb burst from the pressure that they'd generated. Blood and gore spewed forth from rips and tears in the skin that created enough force to launch the bone-like protrusions from her elbows right at the previously oncoming Shinigami. They flew with enough force that one could almost feel them attempting to break the sound barrier. Noticing the projectiles speeding in his direction, Nakahara stopped his rotation and bent his body in a single abrupt motion. Kerai could see as the bone spikes flew beside him, literally touching his unnaturally twisted body whilst on the move. Then, the same moment they passed by Ayumu vanished from her sight. "You're very fast for such a... uhm... sizeable girl", he commented, putting a finger through a new hole in his haori. "But, you see", he continued with his index finger raised toward her, "I'm supposed to be the fastest Shinigami alive, so tryin' to outpace me's just silly." Receiving no response to his statement, he once again assumed a fighting stance. "You may think, "Yeah, right, say whatever you want, I don't believe you!" So, I'll show you, okay?", he said and disappeared. Without a warning a tempestuous gust of wind stirred around Gozen, enclosing her within a rapidly increasing, miniature cyclone. Earth started shaking due to its immense force, electricity flowing with audible noise through the torrential whirlwind. Then, moving so fast he was appearing as a mere blur, Ayumu jumped into the air, spinning with tremendous velocity. Broken so abruptly, the cyclone he had created virtually exploded in a potent shockwave. Within the same instant it struck the Togabito the Royal Guardsmen shot toward her, spinning about his axis with one leg straightened downward and the other lifted in a perpendicular manner. "Tatsumakigeri!", he exclaimed. It was too late to move, so she was caught up in the shockwave but she was sturdy enough to keep it from launching her from where she stood, though this might have been a worse move as Ayumu came in with a follow up attack. Another kick that impacted against her form with intense strength. But she was sturdier still. Smoke and heat billowed up from her form, a reconstitued hand grabbing Ayumu's foot which had found itself embeded in her chest. She tightened her grip, harder and harder, easily going past the limits of most spiritual bodies with the pressure she applied, almost as if she lacked any of her own. Her attempts to forcefully destroy the bones in Ayumu's foot were echoed by her own, the sound of cracking and fragmentation echoing from within the just newly repaired arm. "You're right, I am just a lowly insect granted power well beyond her station, I fear I will be of little challenge to you Ayumu-dono", she started to speak, her tone remained as nonchalant as before though with obvious respect underlying each word. "But I would be loathe to simply stand down without even trying, as pitiful of a being as I might be", emotion flooded in to her voice this time, resolve, aggression, pride even. All the while her remaining arm had begun regenerating, the strips of ripped flesh glowing up to reshape the hand, a new layer of skin oozing over it before it sealed up. It remained an unfilled sack for little more than a couple of moments before a sickening splatter of fluid began to slosh within, twisting and breaking into place. With a small but noticeable booming noise, the hand had returned to an undamaged form, the massive skeletal protrusion even having reformed from almost nowhere. The newly formed arm raised and with force that was sure enough to break it again, she lowered it atop Ayumu's leg in an attempt to deprive the master of speed his primary form of locomotion. Nakahara acted without a fraction of a second of hesitation. Lightning aura enveloped his entire body, striking the Togabito with a potent surge of electricity. The Shinigami twisted his body up to the reasonable limit and a little beyond. He lifted the armoured foot of his free leg in an electrokinetically empowered, impromptu , as fast as lightning itself, the tip of the boot aimed at Gozen's chin. The kick knocked her back, but her grip had thus far only tightened to the point that it pulled the Royal Guardsman with her. Her attack had also gone unimpeded in spite of the retaliation, the heavy strike slamming against Ayumu's leg like an executioner's axe on the neck of its next victim. However the kick had done some damage, her neck was pressed back farther than should have been possible, her head stuck facing upwards, and little by little, cracks began to form on her mask. Using the shroud of lightning as a cushion in order not to get stuck, Nakahara promptly kicked her in the chest, using the considerable impetus to tear his constrained right leg out from her body. Then, he somersaulted mid-air and landed gently on the ground, swiftly sliding about a dozen metres backward before stopping. As he was standing up, Kerai straightened her bent back. "You know, if not for Senkō, I'd be "One-Legged Ayumu" from now on", he remarked, pointing at a stain of blood on his right leg. He put his palms on his hips and bent his back several times, as if limbering up. "The problem with risin' up through the ranks is that one day you struggle to defeat a single Hollow, and another one bam! bam! bam!", he snapped the fingers of his left hand, "you kill three Adjuchas with one strike." He glanced at Gozen with a playful grin, slightly bending his legs and hands. "Then, as you think that almost nobody could compete with ya, you suddenly meet such a challenge", he continued. "I'm one lucky bastard." He took a deep breath and released the air slowly. "Time to raise this up a notch or two, Ms. Unnamed." All of a sudden his shining aura expanded, electrifying violently so much that it started striking bolts of lightning in all directions. Nakahara's fists were clenched, his entire body vibrating to the rhythm of the electricity enveloping him. The pavement under his feet began cracking. "Bankai, Inazuma Senkō!" A thunderous sound shook the entire area, which was then drowned in a blinding flash of light. *** Block. Parry. Then, a swift strike and the sound of a cut body. The enemy falls limply to the ground. Having had felled yet another enemy, Lieutenant Ueno quickly glanced to the side. Noticing a small fireball speeding toward him, he made a sudden dodge with the use of Shunpo. Then, with further two bursts of speed he evaded the follow up, and with the third one finally closed the distance between him and the attacker. Surprised, the Sinner could only groan as his chest was cut open with a swift slash. Two Togabito plunged at Daiki from behind. The Shinigami ducked quickly, narrowly avoiding a horizontal swipe of a large axe. Subsequently, taking advantage of the weapon's hindering weight, he turned around rapidly whilst standing up, slicing the shocked opponent in half. As Ueno was rising up, the other one was about to strike him, but the Lieutenant had already pointed the index finger of his free hand at him. " ", he declared solemnly. The narrow beam of white light shot directly through the head of the charging Sinner, killing him on the spot. When his dead body fell to the ground, Daiki looked around carefully. He was surrounded by a couple dozen Togabito, all of them dead. Meanwhile, not that far away from him, the other members of his Division fought a pitched battle against a large pack of Sinners. Exchanging numerous slashes, kicks, punches, fireballs and spells, the two opposing sides seemed to be equally matched. However, the appearance of a single person entirely changed the tide of the battle. "Tatakiwaru, Tamashī Kagami." Most of the invaders did not notice the shower of glittering death even as the countless shards were piercing their deformed bodies, too occupied with lashing madly at the Shinigami troopers. A single volley of the broken glass panes decimated the Sinners, swiftly breaking them from their berserk trance. Surprised by the unexpected turn of events, the defenders of Seireitei were nonetheless quick to react. Several enemies had perished in the abrupt counter-strike, and those who remained quickly forwent any attempts at mustering a uniform line of defence and proceeded to flee. Captain Haruka Mewokuramasa observed the situation attentively and smiled faintly, her spirits raised by the valiance of her subordinates. Then, as she was about to relocate and provide support in another sector, she heard a thunderous noise. The sound of explosion. She quickly turned back to the battlefield, immediately spotting a large column of smoke rising up. Numerous Togabito, or rather parts of their bodies, lain scattered around, and some of the most far advanced Shinigami had been knocked over by the blast. "Captain?", asked Ueno in a tense voice, appearing beside her utilising Shunpo. A single figure emerged from the smoke, casually treading on the corpses under its feet. A tall, broad-shouldered figure in a black, hooded cloak. "Retreat!", screamed Haruka to her troopers. "But, Captain...", started one of them, trying to stand up. "Begone", uttered the cloaked individual with a deep voice. Afterward, the invader snapped his fingers, unleashing a torrential blast of wind. Mewokuramasu reacted on instinct, shielding herself and her Lieutenant with an . Realising she had cowered, she then straightened up and looked upon the battlefield, distressed. However, she noticed the fallen Shinigami slowly stand up and finally follow her order. Then, her attention was once again drawn to the cloaked figure. "I've been looking for you", it spoke, halting calmly a medium distance from her and Ueno. "Are you Zetsubō Usuguraiboshi?", she inquired in a tense tone, lifting her Shikai. Daiki quickly mirrored her move, rising his guard. "No", replied the man laconically. Mewokuramasu raised her eyebrow, anxious and at the same time confused. "Then who are you?", she asked, holding the hilt of her sword tightly. "I've figured you won't recognise me like that", said the cloaked individual. "Well, there's no need for this anyway." Subsequently, the man lifted his hands and removed the hood, revealing his face. Haruka's eyes widened. His voice, more vibrant and youthful. His jet black hair, much shorter and lacking the grey streaks. His face, younger and without wrinkles, but with an ashen complexion. His eyes, once bright yellow, now gleaming with a faint scarlet glow. His Reiatsu, virtually non-existent, as if she was looking at a blank spot in the plane of existence. But there was no mistake. Those sharp features, the two unsightly, intersecting scars marking his face. The instant she gazed into his eyes she knew his identity. "No", she whispered. "No", she repeated, shaking her head. Hikari Maebure. End of Chapter Category:Roleplay